kickhaltsforlife Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 you can hum 88 BD. you cant hum much of 07 BD This is the most scientific thing in this thread so far. Just so everyone knows... we define melody and theme in my college theory and history classes as something hummable or singable. But then again... it is all theory. anyway, I like the information this thread provides. OP did a great job.. I applaud you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Yeah, a separate thread on this is actually a good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liebot Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 (edited) Which do you think people could hum more of - Mahler 5 or Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl?" Obviously a slightly ridiculous analogy but it's somewhat valid. . . "hummability" doesn't necessarily mean something's better or worse than something else. And, for what it's worth. . . I had the low brass Pegasus ostinato stuck in my head for quite some time in 2007. . . does that count as melody? Edited April 23, 2009 by TSRTS13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liebot Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 I can't really hum anything from Phantom's 2008 show offhand though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickhaltsforlife Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 My definition of hummable is something I can remember hum or whistle for a good long time after hearing it for the first time. I shouldn't count though... the general public, who we should be entertaining should tell us what they think hummable is... I think Bartok is very hummable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hrothgar15 Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Finally, quantitative data to back up what I've known was true for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbugleboy Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Is OP taking requests? I would very much like to see this sort of analysis of Crown's show last year. I consider Finis very "hummable" and 4th place is nothing to shake a baton at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfrontz Posted April 23, 2009 Author Share Posted April 23, 2009 Sure, but I have to go to work today... Besides, I may have to tweak this: ideas keep popping into my head. If anyone has any ideas for improving the system, let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfrontz Posted April 23, 2009 Author Share Posted April 23, 2009 Which do you think people could hum more of - Mahler 5 or Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl?" Obviously a slightly ridiculous analogy but it's somewhat valid. . . "hummability" doesn't necessarily mean something's better or worse than something else.And, for what it's worth. . . I had the low brass Pegasus ostinato stuck in my head for quite some time in 2007. . . does that count as melody? No - it's ostinato. I think. And I could do twenty or more minutes of Mahler's Fifth without breaking a sweat...I know not this "Katy Perry" of whom you speak. Hummability is not the sine qua non of a piece of music, but it is an element which some people look for. Probably the folks who would rather listen to Katy than Gustav. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillH Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Kudos to OP for a nice approach to going beyond a subjective, "It feels choppy" statement. My experience with shows the last few years has been a general disatisfaction with the music-follows-visual design approach. I believe that this results in a general lack of thematic development which many of us define as choppy. Even in segments of shows which are close to the orignal works for periods, there seems to be a dearth of developed (or develop-able?) melodic material. For instance, although I do appreciate some Tichelli works on the field, many do not lend lemselves to capturing the casual (read "non-music major") listeners' attention with clear and memorable melodic statements. To provide a reference point for my opinion, I am a product of early/mid 80's DCI and was lucky enough to experience Jim Prime/Thom Hannum leading musically and George Zingali interpreting visually. Certainly these arrangers chopped up original works but they and Gail Royer and Wayne Downey and others of that period led the listener's emotional involvement with tension and release centered around melody and melodic/harmonic development. It seems that tension and release in many more recent shows are driven by a road map of effect points achieved visually and supported by whatever musical "effects" best help drive that visual road map. Still very exciting but, for those of us who are MUSCIALLY driven. less intimately emotional. Of course that is just my perspective and I recognize that many others love the "chop and bop" shows of the last 6 years. I certainly will not argue that they are better or worse. Just different enough that musically, they leave me wanting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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